Ford Lightweight Concept Removes 800 lbs from Fusion Midsize Sedan
From the article said: Given the drastic weight reduction that makes the Ford Lightweight Concept comparable to the Ford Fiesta, we should likewise see similar fuel economy if such materials were used in a future iteration of the Fusion. That would mean city/highway/combined fuel efficiency ratings of 32/45/37 mpg when using the 1.0-liter EcoBoost engine.
I posted this for all you "But it weighs so much!!" whiners. 
pretty impressive, but essentially they just did what a lot of racers do to shave off substantial weight, in some cases......polycarb/lexan windows save a big chunk of weight, but aren't legal for street cars for a variety of reasons, and that won't change. Carbon fiber wheels are light, but expensive (one would think that if saving wheel weight was a goal, they could just go back to something 15" rather than the 18s and 19s that seem to come on most cars standard these days).
CF oil pan seens kind of hokey. Do aluminum oil pans weigh all that much in the first place? Seat rails, on the other hand....
And also, that list doesn't add up to 800lbs. No word on what the interior has (hand-crank windows - or no window mechanisms at all since Lexan no likey roll-up/down?)....bare-bones seats? thin plastic door and dash panels? no headliner? No soundproofing? It's easy to get rid of all this stuff in a concept that never has to be driven. But in a daily-driver car, getting rid of all this stuff is akin to haivng to drive a stripped racecar, lol and the associated compromises in comfort, NVH, etc...
Seems to me that the best thing manufacturers could do to make cars lighter is aluminum/composite body panels, and stop loading them up with a dozen electric motors to to everything for the owner, from folding down rear seats to opening the trunk to whatever. Oh, and stop making them so damn big (I'm talking to you, Dodge) lol...
Yes it is an extreme concept, but it is a step in the right direction.
To be encouraged, for sure.
Basically just a more extreme version of what Mazda is doing with Skyactiv?
with all the composites and light weight metals.. why not cut down on the weight of the safety gear? I am sure properly designed alloy or CF door bars and anti-crush bars could be made. Same with the airbag mechanisms. Ever lifted an airbag before it is blown? they are -not- light
Ford is building an aluminum F-150 now.
So maybe Fusion is next.
It's never enough for some of you guys, is it? 
In reply to mad_machine:
Cf door bars earn a big hell no from me......why would you want shattering bits inside your car.
The easiest way to make 'em lighter is make 'em smaller. Also, do we really need six-way power memory seats? How much strength does it take to adjust a seat manually?
In reply to yamaha: along with the glass .
Jerry From LA wrote: The easiest way to make 'em lighter is make 'em smaller. Also, do we really need six-way power memory seats? How much strength does it take to adjust a seat manually?
I have had all those adjustments in my last two cars.. I set them and forget them until I sell the car, just like I did with all the cars that had manual adjustments
Cutting weight it great, but why cut power too? The picture showed the 1.0 Fiesta engine, why not put in the Focus SVT motor? It may weigh a bit more, but the extra power in a lighter car? Sounds good to me. The lighter weight would allow early upshifting for fuel savings, and better perfomace when the pedals down.
Gearheadotaku wrote: Cutting weight it great, but why cut power too? The picture showed the 1.0 Fiesta engine, why not put in the Focus SVT motor? It may weigh a bit more, but the extra power in a lighter car? Sounds good to me. The lighter weight would allow early upshifting for fuel savings, and better perfomace when the pedals down.
Because it's all about fuel mileage. They claim it has the same power/weight ratio as the standard Fusion.
So it's back down to what rwd cars in the 80s weighed? My Skyline is like 2800lbs.
It says that a base Fiesta weighs 2600 pounds?
I'm pretty sure a late 90's Cavalier was around 2000 pounds, and they have plenty of luxury for me..
For all of the regular drivers, they should just get a hybrid or an electric car. We can't burn oil forever. I think that almost all hybrid sedans get much more fuel efficiency than that and electric obviously doesn't burn gas.
Manufacturers can't go back to 15" wheels because they would look foolish on these land barges they make today. Plus the brakes probably won't fit either.
novaderrik wrote: It says that a base Fiesta weighs 2600 pounds? I'm pretty sure a late 90's Cavalier was around 2000 pounds, and they have plenty of luxury for me..
I am not sure I have ever heard the term "cavalier" and "luxury" in the same sentence before.. unless people were complaining about how little luxury there was in a cavalier.
Sad to say.. we can't go back to the weights of yesterday's cars. It is a proven fact that strippers do not sell (even they cost more than a dollar now) and people expect a certain amount of luxury from even their bottom rung economy cars
novaderrik wrote: It says that a base Fiesta weighs 2600 pounds? I'm pretty sure a late 90's Cavalier was around 2000 pounds, and they have plenty of luxury for me..
ShadowSix wrote:novaderrik wrote: It says that a base Fiesta weighs 2600 pounds? I'm pretty sure a late 90's Cavalier was around 2000 pounds, and they have plenty of luxury for me.."Pretty sure" eh?
oh... that's going to leave a mark
kanaric wrote: So it's back down to what rwd cars in the 80s weighed? My Skyline is like 2800lbs.
That's a great weight for a car and light by today's standards. A bit more porky for the 80's considering CRX's were under 2k pounds and a Ford Mustang LX 5.0 was right at or under 2500. Also keep in mind that your Skyline didn't have to meet the crash standards in place today.
I'm not knocking it. The Skyline is a great car. Hell, I drove a six pack of 90's Miata's over time. Those things have the crash integrity of a beer can. That's also why they are so light weight.
Mr_Clutch42 wrote: For all of the regular drivers, they should just get a hybrid or an electric car. We can't burn oil forever. I think that almost all hybrid sedans get much more fuel efficiency than that and electric obviously doesn't burn gas. Manufacturers can't go back to 15" wheels because they would look foolish on these land barges they make today. Plus the brakes probably won't fit either.
The brakes might fit if the car is lighter and thereby necessitating much less braking force to achieve performance goals. Style and the current trend of fitting big wheels by customizers and manufacturers. would affect that as well. Can't fight fashion!
I think Ford is on the right track. They realize how over weight their cars have become over time and the effect that has on performance. Since they can lighten their trucks so much via using aluminum components then it makes sense to use those lessons learned on their car range as well. If they can lighten a Fusion this much please consider what they can do with a Fiesta or Focus? It's a good trend that they're even thinking about it.
Xceler8x wrote: That's a great weight for a car and light by today's standards. A bit more porky for the 80's considering CRX's were under 2k pounds and a Ford Mustang LX 5.0 was right at or under 2500.
All the guys I knew that raced them would have loved to have had LX 5.0s that weighed under 2500. The notchbacks were right around 3000, you could get them down from there, but 2500 would take a lot of work. My moderately-optioned 89 LX hatch weighed in at jut over 3100 on the scales at Waterford Hills.
Xceler8x wrote:Mr_Clutch42 wrote: For all of the regular drivers, they should just get a hybrid or an electric car. We can't burn oil forever. I think that almost all hybrid sedans get much more fuel efficiency than that and electric obviously doesn't burn gas. Manufacturers can't go back to 15" wheels because they would look foolish on these land barges they make today. Plus the brakes probably won't fit either.The brakes might fit if the car is lighter and thereby necessitating much less braking force to achieve performance goals. Style and the current trend of fitting big wheels by customizers and manufacturers. would affect that as well. Can't fight fashion!
It's not fashion, it's legislation. Look at the nose and door height on the cars that look fine with a 14 or 15" rim, and then look at the same thing on a modern car. It's not that all of the designers suddenly and simultaneously decided to go for large, high & flat bumper & door heights. When you raise the profile of the car, it starts to look funny if the wheels aren't at the same approximate percentage to hood & bumper height that they were before. They've gone up 3-4", and the wheels have matched.
novaderrik wrote: It says that a base Fiesta weighs 2600 pounds? I'm pretty sure a late 90's Cavalier was around 2000 pounds, and they have plenty of luxury for me.. According to the title on my '13 SE it weighs 2491 lbs. The ST is quite a bit heavier.
WonkoTheSane wrote:Xceler8x wrote:It's not fashion, it's legislation. Look at the nose and door height on the cars that look fine with a 14 or 15" rim, and then look at the same thing on a modern car. It's not that all of the designers suddenly and simultaneously decided to go for large, high & flat bumper & door heights. When you raise the profile of the car, it starts to look funny if the wheels aren't at the same approximate percentage to hood & bumper height that they were before. They've gone up 3-4", and the wheels have matched.Mr_Clutch42 wrote: For all of the regular drivers, they should just get a hybrid or an electric car. We can't burn oil forever. I think that almost all hybrid sedans get much more fuel efficiency than that and electric obviously doesn't burn gas. Manufacturers can't go back to 15" wheels because they would look foolish on these land barges they make today. Plus the brakes probably won't fit either.The brakes might fit if the car is lighter and thereby necessitating much less braking force to achieve performance goals. Style and the current trend of fitting big wheels by customizers and manufacturers. would affect that as well. Can't fight fashion!
Wheel wells usually look 'right' when they are about half the height of the vehicle.
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